Crate



c. IFLAGSTAD INVENTOR Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES [PATENT OFFICE.

'(lolRNELL'FLAGsTA'D, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORF N INETY-FIV 'PER CENT TO TEE rFCL'DING( CRATE AND BOX CO., A lCORPORATION oF MINNESOTA,

. ANDIFIVE-PER CENT v'.IOOSCARy AVFLAGSTAD, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, VIVIINIIESOTA. l

CR/ATE.

original application med' November 26, 1923, serial 110,677,175. Divided and this,applicati@ inea May 9, 192.7. Serial No. 189,807.

This invention relates to-'crate constructions `and the primary object is to provide a novel construction of. crate and a` cover therefor, in which thefcover may be easilyand quickly secured and released with respect to the crate, the latter of which may be either of the collapsible or stationary type although the collapsible or folding crateprovides lthe greatest llield for the adaptation and use ofthe specific cover and cover locking means hereinafter set forth. Further and more` specific objects will be disclosed inthe course of vthe following speciiication, reference being had to theraccornpanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a collapsible crate embodying my improved cover and -cover locking device. f

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on the line 2-f2vin`Fig. 1. v Y

F ig. 3 isa sectional detail view, -similar to Fig. 2, but showing the adjacent cover and crate sections as ,sprung v`from their normal lpositions to effect lthe locking and .unlockingv operations. p

Fig. ,4 is an enlarged detail section, on Vthe line 4 4 in Fig. f1. y l

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are similar to Figures 15, 17 and 16, respectively, of my 'co-.pending application, Ser.. No. 677,175,1iled November .26, 1923, Vfor collapsible crate, of which the lpresent application is a division. 4

Referring to the present drawings more particularly and by reference characters, A,

B, C, and D designate the vertical sections lof the crate, all of which are connected, at their adjacent ends, by hinges E. In vthe present instance sections A and B, being the shorter,

Y `may be termed ythe end sections, and sections VC and D asY the side sections, .but it will be V understood that with the proportionate lengthsl reversed, then sections A and may lbe considered as side sections and sections C and D as end sections. The hinges E may be of any suitable type which will permit the s 4,5 sections A, B, C and D to be collapsed against each other when the cover and Abase sections ofthe crate have lirst been released. No lbase section isshown, but it is understood thatit y 'may besim'ilarto the coversection shown,an'd which is designated,generally, by the letter .o The cover section consists, rimarily, 'of vtwo interslidably `arranged interlocked frames 5 and 6,the *firstof vwhich, is made lup jof longitudinalslats, 8 and 9,-and"transverse slats 10, and the latter of which ismadeupfof longitudinal slats k11 and 12, and transverse slats 13. The vertical sections A-D, in-

clusi-ve, are preferably made up of vertical slats 14, vconnected as Iby horizontal slats or 'bars15., 00 The cover frames -have Aa limited 'sliding movement with respect to each other, which is utilizedin securing and vdetachin, ;the cover.

yThe longitudinal-bars l11 and 12,'of therespective vframes 6 ande, project fbeyond 'the 55 ends of the cover so as to rest on the end sec-r tions A and B, near their outer ends,'and thus retain the *cover in place. The frame 5 is provided, near two corners of the Acover,fvv-ith a jpairo'f rigid fingers 16, which are long enough 70 to engage 'into or under the rail 15 of the side section C, 'and are preferably first set finto place when the cover is to 'be secured, at which time the frames are 'collapsed 'as 'a'r aspo'ssible. Near the opposite 'corners of the crate, 75 y the framev Sis .provided with a pair 'of rigidly Vsecured end fingers y17, 'arranged to v4engage in orunder'a pair of strap members 18 secured to the inner sides of the side v'section D. Y Thesefingers are moved intoposi'tion ybyp'ull- 80 ing out the cover frame 6 from the frame 5. When Vthe frames have been .pulled apart the required distance, 'a spring latch 19 'carried by one of the transverse slats 13, of the `frame 6, snaps against the center-Slat 8 of the Atraine 85 5, and thus holds. it locked until -t-he latch is manually released. i l f At this time the ends of the slats l1 and `12 rest upon'lthe end sections, the fingers' 16 and 17 engage the side sections, cover k90 locked in a comparatively rigid condition substantially as a single piece or unit. For

portions of thevcover to be sprung from their i normal positions of rest and, as the hooks are not slidable or movable with respect to the cover, itwill be seen that they may only be engaged by simultaneously and also springing the vertical sections of the crate out with respect to the sprung portions of the cover. This double springing is clearly illusrated in Fig. 3, and while it is very simply and easily effected it will be seen that the resulting connection is a very strong` one and cannot be y loosened or released by internal pressure but must have the combined internal and external springing actions, which can only be done by proper manual manipulation. .lt will also be noted that while t-he locking of the hooks E20-2l has been described and is possibly best y veffected after the cover frames have been locked into a single unit, the hooks 2l (but not 20) may be moved outwardly with theV cover frames, thus not necessarily requiring the side section, as D, to be sprung out. With the hooks 20, it is of course always necessary to effect bothspringing motions.

. Itis understood that suitablel modifications may be made in the general design and structural details of the invention as herein shown, provided, however, that said modifications come withinV the spirit and scopeof the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully shown and describedmy invention, what I claim vto be new and desire to protect by Letters Patentis:

y 1. The combination with a crate.l of a cover therefor adapted to be sprung in respect to its normal position of rest on the box and having fasteners rigidly secured thereto for interlocking engagement with; side sections of the crate, said fasteners being arranged to be held in interlocking engagement by the spring tension of the cover.`

2. A crate having a cover section and a vertical section both of which are adapted ,to be sprung, with respect to their normal positions of rest, a fastener rigidly carried by one of ysaid sections for interlocking engagement with the other section when both of the sections are sprung with respect to said normal positions, said fastener being arranged so as to be held in interlocked position by the spring tension of one ofthe sections.

3. A crate having a cover and a vertical section both of which are adapted to be sprung with respect to their normal positions, a fastener carried by and rigidly secured to the cover for interlocking engagement with the vertical section when both are sprung, said fastenerbeing arranged so as to be held in interlocked position by the'spring tension of the cover.

4. A crate having a cover and a vertical section both of which are adapted to be sprung with respect to their normal positions, a fastener carried by and rigidly secured tothe cover for interlocking engagement'with the vertical section when both are sprung, said fastener being arranged so as to be held in interlocked position by the spring Vtension of both the coverv and the vertical section.

5. A crate having two sections separable with respect to each other and one of which is adapted to be sprung inward and the other voutward Ywith respect to their norma-l positions, a fastener "carried by one of the sections for interlocking engagement with the other section, when both ofthe sections are` so.

sprung. Y

6. A crate having two sections separable with respect to each other and one of which is adapted to be sprunginward and the other outward with respect to' their normal positions, a fastener carried by one of the sections for interlocking engagement with the other section, when both of the sections are so sprung, said fastener being arranged so as to be held in interlocking engagement bythe,

spring tension of one of the sections.

7. A crate having two sections separable with respect to each other and one of which is adapted to be sprung inward and the other outward with respect to their normalA positions, a fastener carried by one of the sections for interlocking engagement with the other sect-ion, when both of the sections are sosprung, said fastener being arranged so as to be heldin interlocking engagement by the spring tension of both of the sections.

8. A crate having two sections separable with respect to each other and one of which is adapted to be sprung inwardV andthe other outward with respect to their normal positions, a fastener carried by one of the sections for interlocking Aengagement with the other section, when both, of the sections are so sprung, said Vfastener consisting of ahook member rigidly secured to the section by which it is carried and adapted to `be received by the other section.

9. The combination with a crate having vertical side and end sections, a cover for closing the crate and adapted to have its endsl carried upon the upper ends of the end sections, said cover being adapted to be sprung downward, intermediate its ends, between the side sections, said side sections being adapted to be sprung outward, intermediate theirA ends,from the cover, and fasteners carried by the sides of the cover for engagement with the side sections by so springing the cover and side sections, to thereby firmly fasten thev sides of the cover to the side sections.

l0.' A Crate having two sections separable with respect to each other and one of which is adapted to be sprung inward and the other outward with respect to their normal positions, a fastener carried by one of the sections for interlocking engagement with the other section, when both of the sections are so sprung, one of said sections forming a -cover for the crate and comprising two interslidably connected frames having a limited slidf ing movement with respeet to each other.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ooRNELLFLAGsTAD,

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,690,896. Granted November 6, i928, to

CORNELL FLAGSTAD.

It is hereby certified that the above numbered patent was erroneously issued ninety-five percent to "The Folding Crate and Box Co., a corporation of Minnesota, and five percent to Oscar A. Flagstad, of Minneapolis, Minn", whereas said patent should have been issued to the inventor said "Flagstad, ninety-five percent to The Folding Crate and Box Co., a corporation of Minnesota, and two and one-half percent to Oscar A. Flagstad, of Minneapolis, Minn., as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of December, A. l). 1928.

. M. J. Moore, .(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

